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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. field — a subject
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — a gift
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. capital — money
  12. bank — for money
  13. capital — a city
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — there
  17. mark — a grade
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com